What she knows
by funnygalpot
Summary: Cross over for 24/NCIS/Leverage; AU set after Day 8 of 24
1. Chapter 1

Chloe:

The pixels on the screen start to de-rez. Her chest constricts as Jack's face leaves her view. Muddled by the missing pixels and the tears filling her eyes. She knows he needs to run. Run far and fast. Even injured she knows he can do it. But can he do it by himself? Her chin falls to her chest as her mind races.

She knows the pressure in her chest means one thing. He can't.

Without a word to Arlo, she quickly walks out of the room. Taking the steps to Hasting's, no _her_ office, she quickly shuts the door behind her. Packing her laptop quickly she takes one last look through the glass. Arlo is still sitting at his desk staring at the now dark screen. She watches him as his head falls into his hands. With a sigh she slips the laptop strap over her shoulders. Slowly making her way back down the stairs, she never utters a word as she slips past security and into the tunnel. Walking quickly until she's out the door and around the corner, her feet and legs have a will of their own. Her brain quickly running over all the plans she needs to activate. She already has them in place. She knew years ago that one day he would have to disappear for good. One day this would be the end. There would be no coming back for Jack Bauer. Possibly, not even for Chloe O'Brian.

She hailed a taxi impatiently. With a scowl she slid into the back seat of the first one appearing. "American Bank and Trust on 5th." She reaches down and slides her laptop and a scarf out of her bag. Holding the bag upside down she shoves her hand in, fingers sliding along the lining looking for that thread. As the taxi takes off into traffic she finds it. Turning her bag inside out, she looks at the faded red thread in the lining. So faded from time. Hand sewn in, it looks like a simple repair job to a tear in a heavily used bag. Not this thread though. She knows it's there for a reason. She knows because she put it there herself. Twirling the thread around her forefinger she pulls slowly. As the thread unravels a small hole appears giving view to the long and very sharp plastic knife. Grasping it in her hand, she shoves her laptop back into the messenger bag.

With a deep breath she rolls up her left sleeve. Fingers probing her wrist she feels the small piece of metal there. With a quick flick of her hand she drags the knife down into her skin. Gritting her teeth together she lets out a soft hiss as her wrist stings. Bright red drops of blood welling up out of the wound. Glancing up to make sure the taxi driver is paying her no attention, she uses the tip of the knife to pop out the small piece of metal. Quickly tying the scarf around her wrist she sits back into her seat with a shaky exhale. Opening her hand she glances down at what she retrieved. A small gold key. Turning to look out the window her mind barely registers the world going by.

"$22.50" The gruff voice pulls her back to the present. Quickly tossing him the cash she jumps out of the cab. Head down she makes her way through the door of the bank. Determinedly she walks straight to the short older man standing at the entrance to the boxes.

"I need box 1135" She looks him straight in the eye as he takes in her sudden appearance in front of him.

"Name and identification"

She handed him the documents and with a firm voice, "Chloe O'Brian"

Nodding his head he leads her through a corridor and into a room. "Do you have your key?" he inquires.

Holding up the small gold key she nods. Two hands insert 2 small gold keys. The guard pulls the box out of drawer 1135. Placing it on the large table in the room he gives her a nod and walks out softly closing the door.

Chloe takes a deep breath and lifts the lid. First she pulls out the cash. $50,000 Pounds Sterling and $50,000 USD. Shoving the stacks into her bag, she turns her attention to the large manila envelope on the bottom. Shaking out it's contents she picks up first the passport then the drivers license. Flipping through the rest of the contents she now has the identifications, two credit cards, a small black cell phone and a car key. Shoving her bounty into her bag she peers into the empty box. Closing her eyes she lets her mind clear. Deep breath in and deep breath out. When she opens her eyes again her resolve is firm. This is what needs to happen. She knows. Digging into her pockets she pulls out her CTU badge. Tossing it into the empty box she reaches into her bag for her own wallet. Pulling it out she pops the flap and starts tossing her own license and credit cards into the box. Her fingers gripping the edge of the photo behind her cash she sucks her bottom lip in between her teeth. Scowling she pulls the photo out and looks at it. Staring down into the faces of her son and ex-husband her eyes fill with tears. Murmuring a soft rush of words "I'm so sorry" she gently places the photo alongside the rest of her life into the box. Flipping the lid closed firmly on Chloe O'Brian, she walks out of the room.

Back onto the street she takes her own cell phone out of her pocket. Hitting speed dial she waits anxiously for his voice to pick up.

"Chloe! Where are you?" His voice anxious, his accent going heavy with worry, Morris waits patiently for her to answer.

Her eyes squeezing shut as she exhales, she utters one word "...Railroad..."

Pulling the phone from her ear she hits END on the call. Quickly flicking the battery cover off the back, she snaps the phone in half. Dropping one piece into the nearest trash can she starts walking down the street. One block turns into 2, turning into 8 before she casually drops the battery down a sewer grate. Quickly turning down a side street she strides on. Steps quick and determined. By block 17 she drops the last piece into a dumpster.


	2. Chapter 2

Morris:

Closing the cell phone Morris runs a shaky hand down the side of his face. Looking over at his son he takes a deep breath and claps his hands together "Okay, Prescott! We are going on a trip"

"Really? Where?! Where's Mom?" Jumping up from the couch he excitedly runs over to Morris.

"Mom has her own trip to go on Scotty. We'll meet up with her later, but first you and I are going on an adventure."

Cocking his head to the side the boy studies his father's excited face. "An adventure?"

"Yes, now run along, go get your shoes on"

Watching him run to his room Morris looks around the apartment. His eyes falling on the fridge, he walks over and opens the freezer. All the way in the back he pulls out a half gallon of ice cream. Placing it in the sink he opens the lid and turns the tap on hot. Watching the water melt the ice cream, he reaches in and takes out a sandwich bag. Tearing it open he shuffles through the new license and credit cards in the wallet. Shoving them into this pocket he takes off down the hallway.

Once in the bedroom he pushes the bed across the floor. On his hands and knees he pulls his pocket knife out. Flipping the blade open he pries up a floor board revealing a silver metal box. Lifting the handle he places it onto the bed. Shoving the floor board back into place he pushes the bed back. Hurrying to the closet he pushes the hangers out of the way. Picking up two black gym bags he places them on the bed beside the box. Flipping the lid on the box he dumps the contents out. Grabbing a cell phone and cash he shoves them into the larger of the 2 bags.

Hearing footsteps he turns around to find Prescott in the doorway waiting for him. "Right! Yes, c'mere let's go" He hands the smaller bag over and grips his son's hand. "It'll be okay. I promise." Ruffling his hair he guides him out of the apartment at a jog.

Once on the street he takes Scotty's hand. "So I was thinking it's time to go see your Uncle Timothy"

Wide eyes look up at him "Isn't Uncle Timothy in England?"


	3. Chapter 3

Chloe:

Exiting the cab, she tosses $40 at the driver with a scowl. "Go" she demands.

Rolling her head on her neck, she tries to ease the tension in the muscles. Hefting her bag across her shoulders, she walks down the street in the night. 1 train and 3 cab rides later she's finally here. Where the 2nd leg of her plan begins, actually, where _the_ plan was brainstormed and hatched years ago. She looks up at the sign on the storefront she stops in front of. Even though the letters are faded she can read iGibbs General Store/i. With a sigh she reaches up and feels along the door frame. Her fingers grasping the key she finds there she unlocks and enters. Closing the door, she rests her forehead on it before throwing the lock back. Turning around she inhales deeply. The familiar scent of country air and sawdust filters through her nostrils. The scent instantly soothes her. Her mind flashes back..

iSmiling, Chloe watches as the man in front of her tosses his head back and lets loose an amused chuckle. She steps all the way inside, and watches him as she shuts the door. It always amazes her how his face softens when he laughs. His blue eyes twinkling he walks over and reaches for her hand. His touch is warm and reassuring and causes her to sigh. He pulls her to his chest and her arms wrap around him as she feels him bury his face in her hair. She squeezes him tight and feels all the tension leave her body. As the feeling of safeness washes over her the tears she has been holding back prick her eyes. An anguished sob escapes her lips. The man in front of her tightens his arms around her. With a choked voiced she whispers. "Jethro….He's in the car" /i

Shaking the memory from her head, she walks to the back of the store. Pushing the storeroom door open she slips through the back. Through another door and she enters the storage shed behind it. Her hand running along the hood of the truck there, she lets a small grin slip onto her face she lets back in the feeling of safeness. Instantly the pain in her chest eases as she walks to the back of the truck. She pulls the tarp off the bed and from inside she grabs the handles of the black gym bag there. Unzipping it, she studies the contents. First, a change of clothes, which she pulls out and puts on the bed of the truck, next she pulls out one of the handguns. Reaching for a clip she slides it home. Placing the now loaded gun beside the clothes, she kicks out of her flats and starts to strip.

As she dresses she takes in her surroundings, letting her eyes wander over the storage boxes and tools. Eyeing a familiar box on a shelf, she finishes lacing up her sneakers. Walking over, she reaches up and pulls it down. In faded yet familiar writing she sees _June 2007_ scrawled on the side. _"Has it really been 3 years?!"_ she thinks amazed. Opening the flaps a ghost of a smile plays on her lips. Her eyes falling on the framed picture, she reaches in and grasps it in her hands. Trailing her fingers across the image the memory of that day pulls her away.

_"__Tony!" She screams. _

_With a self-satisfied smirk on his face, the tall man darts out of her reach with a laugh as he holds her laptop high in the air. "Chloe…..you need to live outside this box!" he yells._

_"__Dinozzo, that girl is going to tear you a new hide!" yells the man from the porch. _

_Turning, Chloe takes in the sight of him standing in the doorframe. Dressed only in a pair of faded jeans, he's holding a coffee mug in one hand and watching them with a smile. He raises his cup and nods at Chloe. "God it's good to see him smile" she thinks. Distracted by the sight of him, she doesn't notice the_ _sneak attack from behind. Suddenly, she's hoisted in the air by a pair of very strong arms. She feels him laughing as she's trapped against her chest. A low voice in her ear "I've gotcha now O'Brian.." _

_"__Tony put me down!" She screams_

_"__Not a chance, little one" His voice purrs. "Not until you promise to let Gibbs lock this laptop in the storeroom at least for the weekend"_

_Gasping she says "No way!" Struggling to get out of his arms, she feels his deep laughter again as he pulls her tighter and his fingers start playfully digging into her ribs. Squirming she lets out a squeal of delight as he relentlessly tickles her side._

_Interrupted by the man on the porch, she hears him yell "ONE WEEKEND CHLOE!" and that seems to seal her fate. Still holding her in his arms Tony carries her to the porch and unceremoniously dumps her squirming form onto the porch swing. Sitting down beside her he pulls her close and looks at the man sitting on the steps. _

_Winking, Tony takes in the blonde haired man "Captain, you're looking better"_

_"__Dinozzo, after this many years, you need to start calling me Jack" he said with a chuckle_

_Pulling a fake look of shock on his face, Tony exclaims "Captain Jack? Now that sounds like a very good idea. Who has the bottle?" He looks around._

_Beside him Chloe scowls "If you're taking away my laptop, the least you can do is give me a drink" she mumbles. _

_Just in time, the screen door pushes open and Gibbs steps outside. "Children…" He admonishes with a twinkle in his eye. Just as the three of them snap their mouths shut, he smirks and pulls a bottle out from behind his back. "This bottle?"_

Chloe snaps back to the present. She swipes at the tears on her cheeks and with a sigh she stares down at the photo frame. Her eyes scanning the smiling faces of the group in it, she takes in the playful smile that is pure Tony. Beside him is Jack, his arm around Tony's shoulders as his smiling face is turned to Chloe being held in Tony's lap. Sitting on the other side of Jack is Jethro. One of his rare smiles on his face as all 4 of them eagerly pushed in together side by side on the steps of that porch waiting for their picture to be taken.

Wiping her eyes again, she digs through the rest of the box. With a laugh she pulls out a laptop battery. _"So that's what happened to it! Damned Tony_!" she thinks. Taking the box with her she walks back to sit on the bed of the truck, she drops it onto the floor. Fingering the butt of the gun sitting there she is amazed again those three years have gone by. 3 whole years since she has stepped foot in Stillwater, PA? How is that possible? Shaking her head, she swears to herself. She let too much time go by. They all did. Got so caught up in all the hell that came after that summer, they seemed to have forgotten the bubble of safeness that was Stillwater.

Shoving the gun into the back of her jeans, she pulls another clip from the gym bag. Pushing that into her pocket, she zips up the bag and hoists it onto her shoulder. The weight settles over her small frame and she adjusts to the additional heaviness. Jethro definitely made sure she had anything and everything she would need when he packed it. One more glance down at the box and she knew what she had to do. Looking around the room she saw a bottle of lighter fluid for the grill. Grabbing that and the grill lighter she went back to the box. One last look at the smiling faces looking up at her and she covered the entire box in fluid. Dropping the lit lighter into the box, she watched the contents flame up. The warmth on her face, and with the glow of the fire reflected in the tears in her eyes, she turns and walks away.

_"__It would do us no good if anyone knew our history together."_ She thought.

Back on the street, she gave one last look at the storefront. Pulling a phone out of her pocket, she dialed a number. Tears flooded her eyes as soon as she heard his voice answer "Gibbs"

"The railroad….It's time to build it.."


	4. Chapter 4

Jack:

Breathing heavily he collapses against the dumpster. Looking around the side of it, he sees the train tracks. The sky pitch black without even a star showing, he clicks the button on his watch to light the dial. He figures he has about an hour before the sun comes back up.

i"Another day"/i he thinks. Sitting back, he concentrates on taking shallow breaths. The pain in his shoulder and ribs stealing the well needed oxygen from his body. He'd been running for hours now. His throat is dry, his lips chapped and he feels every ache, pain, wound and bruise on his body. Gripping the hem of his shirt he slowly raises it to inspect his injuries. The mottled dark purple skin on his side confirming his thought of at least one broken rib. With trembling fingers, he gently probes the purple skin. Hissing through clenched teeth he amends that thought, i"Okay, so make that 3 broken"./i

Looking at his watch again, his eyes fall to his scarred hand. Absently rubbing the skin with his thumb he hopes he remembers. _"Please Dinozzo, remember"_ he thinks. Using his thumb to trace the scars, he feels for the small disc he knows is there. Finding it between the bones of his hand he presses down hard. A gasp escaping his lips he feels the click as the disc presses against the bone. Holding his hand up to his face, he can faintly make out the red glow coming through the skin. Closing his eyes and letting his head fall back against the dumpster he thinks again, _"Please remember"_

_June 2007_

_Jack sits up in bed with an anguished cry. Instantly he feels hands on his face. His own hands reach out and grip the wrists tightly as his mind tries to remember where he is. The soothing voice he hears brings him back to himself. "Chloe…?"_

_"__It's me Jack. You're fine. You're with me. We're in Stillwater. You're safe" She says._

_He falls back to the bed. Letting go of Chloe's wrists he chokes out "Did I hurt you?"_

_"__No Jack, I'm fine." She says_

_"__Don't worry Captain, that girl's made of steel" He hears a strong voice say from the doorway. _

_Opening his eyes he sees Tony backlit by the hallway light. _

_"__Dinozzo..." he breathes out._

_The man walks over to the other side of the bed. Sitting down on the edge, he places his hand on Jack's chest. "I'm here brother. I'm here." He whispers._

_Exhaling, Jack places his hand over Tony's. "Thank you.." He says. His voice rough from the scream that woke him, he looks down at their hands, he studies Tony's long fingers under his own scarred hand. Tony catches his eye and winks. "Just one more scar, Jack. Just one more" he whispers. Tony turns his hand over and clasps Jack's hand strongly in his own. He leans in inches from Jack's face. His green eyes stern as he jerks the hand in his to make sure Jack is looking at him. Squeezing his hand tightly he says through clenched teeth "We…. Will… Not… Ever… Let. ..This… Happen… To… You... Again." _

_Jack watches Tony's face as the man's eyes close and he takes a deep breath before opening them again and continues "We put a tracker there the first night. Under the scar tissue…. If anything… I mean ANYTHING Jack, ever happens like this again, you are to activate it. Do I make myself clear?" _

_Jack stares incredulously into Tony's eyes. "You didn't.."_

_Sitting back up Tony says "I did. We did. Chloe did." Releasing Jack's hand, he runs his fingers through the other man's sweaty blonde hair. Sighing he leans back in. His angry green eyes turning troubled as he whispers, "We will always come for you brother. Always."_

_Jack closes his eyes and nods. "I'm sorry I woke you"._

_With that the tension in the air dissipates and Tony chuckles, "You didn't. I was letting Gibbs beat me at Chess" _

_"__Let? Let? Dinozzo?" A gruff voice says from the hallway. Gibbs walks in carrying a mug of coffee. Jack can smell it as soon as he enters the room. He watches Gibbs cock his head to the side and without a word Chloe and Tony stand and exit the room. Firmly shutting the door Gibbs comes to stand beside him. _

_With a sigh and a shake of his head, Gibbs sits down and says "Jack…."_

_"__I'm okay Jethro." Jack sits up in the bed and props the pillows behind his back. In the 2 weeks he has been here, the Marine and he became fast friends. They shared the same pain radiating behind their matching blue eyes. As soon as Tony introduced him to Leroy Jethro Gibbs he knew he found a kindred soul. _

_Reaching for Gibbs' coffee, he brings it to his lips and smirks as soon as the hot liquid hits his tongue._

_"__That's not just coffee.."_

_Chuckling Gibbs says "nope"_

_With his own small laugh, Jack drains the cup._

_"__I figured you'd need more than the coffee"_

_With a nod, Jack gives his approval. He looks into the older man's face and studies the lines he sees around his eyes._

_"__You look like shit Jethro"_

_Letting one of his rare full bodied laughs out, Gibbs shakes his head. "This coming from you?"_

_Shrugging his shoulders, Jack hands him back the mug._

_"__Do you want to talk about it?" Gibbs inquires_

_"__No" Jack shakes his head. "They still come, but they're getting better"_

_Gibbs nods and looks away. Placing the mug on the nightstand, he reaches over and cuffs Jack on the back of the head. "Go back to sleep Jack. In the morning, we have some things to talk about"_

_"__Can you send Chloe back in?" Jack asks_

_Standing up, Gibbs gives Jack a look. "You know Jack, I always knew you had balls of steel, but to be in love with Dinozzo's sister?" Gibbs shakes his head "Now that son, that right there is a death wish not even the Chinese can beat out of ya"_

_Surprising himself with a laugh, Jack nods his head "Tell me about it." Sobering he looks back at Gibbs. "She's saved my life so many times…"_

_Snorting, Gibbs opens the door and says as he walks out "Seems to be a Dinozzo family trait"_


	5. Chapter 5

Opening his eyes, Jack stares into the darkness. He pinches the bridge of his nose as he pulls his knees to his chest. Resting his head on his knees he sighs as he remembers that summer in Stillwater_. _His three best friends hovering around him like planets and he was the sun._ After walking out on his debrief by Agent Ramirez, Jack had walked out onto the street and stood in the rain. His eyes closed and face pointing to the sky he felt his entire body aching to let the pain out. The pain in his chest from leaving Audrey at the Heller's and the ache of seeing Curtis laying on the ground bloodied from his own bullet. The next feeling he had was of a small warm hand sliding into his. Looking down he saw Chloe. She didn't say a word, just led him to her car. Buckling him in, she slid behind the wheel and started driving. Relaxing in her presence his eyes drifted shut once again and the weight of the day leaked from his muscles. When he woke up the sun was just starting to peek out over the horizon. He heard Chloe's voice as she whispered into her phone. He could only catch a few words "… just entered Pennsylvania… 2 hours…" _

_Chloe glanced over to Jack, seeing he was awake, she gave him a small scowl before continuing. "He's awake. We'll be there soon. Thanks Tony"_

_Jack looked at her. "Where are we going?"_

_"__We're going home"_

_Looking out the window, Jack hesitated. In his mind he tried to decide if he should question this or go along with it. If he was honest with himself, he was too tired to fight it. He knew he would go anywhere she took him._

_"__Pennsylvania?" He said_

_"__Yes."_

_"__Who's Tony?"_

_"__He's my brother."_

_"__You have a brother?" He sat up straighter. "When did this happen?" he thought to himself._

_"__Yes, I have a brother. Well, a half- brother." She looked at him warily._

_"__huh. I don't remember that being in your file."_

_Smirking, she looked at him. "You really think that I am not the one who wrote my file?"_

_Chuckling, he shook his head. "What's his name?"_

_Looking at him again, she replied "Tony.."_

_"__You said that already. What's his full name?"_

_Biting her bottom lip she looked over at him quickly before looking at the road again. "Well, he'll know soon anyway" she thought. She took a deep breath and said "Anthony Dinozzo Jr"_

_Blinking, Jack just looked at her. His eyes narrowed as he took in her nervousness. "Tony Dinozzo?" He said._

_"__Yes" she muttered_

_"__First Lieutenant Anthony Dinozzo?" _

_"__Yes!" She said louder_

_Shaking his head he tried to make sense of the connection in his head. "Anthony Dinozzo.. MY Anthony Dinozzo is your brother?"_

_"__Well technically, he was MY Anthony Dinozzo first" she grumbled_

_Laughing, he raked his hand through his hair. "What a small world" he said as he looked back out the window._

_"__Not exactly" She whispered_

_Jack's head whipped back around to her and studied her face. Her bottom lip was firmly between her teeth as she worriedly chewed on it. "Explain Chloe" He said in a low, dangerous voice._

_Quickly glancing over at him she shook her head and turned her eyes back to the road. She gasped when his hand gripped her wrist and he said again "Explain Chloe"._

_Hesitating, she looked back over at him. She saw confusion and anger in his blue eyes. She nodded quickly and started "Okay.."_

_Jack let go of her wrist and turned completely to watch her as she talked. "go on" he said._


	6. Chapter 6

_Chloe sighs and starts, "Tony's father had an affair with my mom when he was young. We didn't find out about each other until he was already a teenager. By then he was in military school and Daddy Dinozzo had already cut him off. Tony knew about me and sought me out." She took a breath and quickly glanced at Jack. He was studying her curiously so she went on._

_"__I was a few years younger and Dinozzo didn't recognize me as his kid either. I really didn't care since I had heard about him from Mom already. She had married and my Dad accepted me as his without question. When Tony and I got closer, Mom and Dad accepted him too. When he came out of the Army and started the police academy, I stayed with him when I started college. Once he started undercover work, we thought it would be a good idea for us to keep the secret that we were related. I transferred to UC Davis, and eventually Tony started working for NCIS. Over the years we just thought considering our jobs and enemies, it was safer for each of us to keep our relationship just between us."_

_Jack watched her as her story clicked into place. It made sense to him except for one part. "You knew Tony and I were in Delta together didn't you?"_

_"__Yes."_

_"__And you decided to still keep it a secret?" He asked._

_"__Yes. I knew most of that was classified. Tony has that part of his file sealed. I think only a few people know he was in the military."_

_"__That's not why you kept it a secret is it Chloe?"_

_"__No…"_

_"__Chloe…"_

_Sighing, she said "Once I graduated, Tony came out to California and helped me start my job hunt. I was really interested in the government side and was adamant that I go into the private sector." She shrugged…. "But I'm stubborn." She looked at him with a smile. _

_"__I started going on interviews, and then Tony called me one day and said he had the perfect place for me to work. He said if I was still insisting on not working for a private company, then he wanted me to work somewhere he knew I would be ….." Chloe hesitantly looked over at Jack "…safe…." _

_ "__So, he told me about you, but said we should still keep our relationship a secret. He asked me to keep an eye on you. He didn't want you to know because he didn't want you to feel the need to protect me. And I wanted the job. I really wanted the job" _

_Shaking his head, Jack said "No matter who you are Chloe O'Brian, I will always protect you". Thinking about Tony he thought "And Tony already knew that about me"._

_Smirking she reached over and touched his hand. "As will I, Jack Bauer"_

_Squeezing her hand, Jack turned and looked back out the window. Watching as the sign for Stillwater passed by he heard her say "We're here"_

Lifting his head from the memory, he reaches up and wiping the sweat from his brow, he starts to stand. On shaky legs, his head swims, instantly bringing bile to his throat. Falling down to his knees he empties the meager contents of his stomach onto the dirt. His fists clenching, he feels himself losing his grip on consciousness. Just as his vision starts to go black, he feels strong hands grip him suddenly under his arms. A voice he hasn't heard in what feels like a lifetime hits his ears as he loses the battle to stay awake

"..Jack!"


	7. Chapter 7

2 hours previously

Tony:

Instantly on his feet, Tony looks at his boss. Watching anxiously as he hears him answer the phone "Gibbs"; his right hand clenches into a fist as green eyes lock with blue.

He sees Jethro's face turn ashen as those blue eyes turn to steel. Tony pulls his weapon from its holster sat on his hip. Checking the clip he slams it back into the chamber. Narrowing his eyes as he sees Jethro take his phone apart and snap it in half, he already knows before he even hears the words come out of his boss' mouth "..It's time to build the railroad"

His blood going cold, he takes 2 steps in front of Gibbs and in a tortured voice he whispers "Chloe..?"

"Alive.." Gibbs' hand reaches out and grips Tony by the neck. Pulling the man to his chest he whispers "It's time..."

Pulling back, Tony shakes off the lingering remnants of the mask he's had in place. Determinedly he strides over to the corner of the basement. Grabbing a crowbar he goes to work prying off the top of the water tank. He can hear Gibbs behind him rustling through his workbench just as the top comes off. Tony reaches in and pulls out a large plastic bag. He turns and tosses it to Gibbs as he moves to the storage area beneath the steps. Pulling out two black gym bags, he kicks one over and drops one at his feet and starts to rustle through it. Kicking off his shoes, he pulls off his jacket and tie. Looking over he sees Gibbs mirroring him by stripping out of his clothes as well. He pulls a black sweater over his head and then a pair of black cargos up his legs. Sitting down, he watches as the older man ties his boots at the same time he strings up his.

Back on his feet he catches the plastic bag Gibbs throws back at him. Dumping it onto the work bench, he packs the new wallet into his pants. Grabbing up one of the disposable cell phones, he powers it up. Picking his own up from the bench, he dials a number by memory. He shoves the remainder of the items from the bag into his pockets as he waits for the answer.

"Spencer" a voice heavy with sleep answers.

Taking a deep breath, Tony rests his hand on the work bench. "Eliot.."

"Tony? Is that you? Where ar.."

"Railroad.." Tony turns and throws the phone against the concrete wall. The phone hits hard and shatters into pieces. Looking up he says "Let's go".


	8. Chapter 8

Gibbs:

His gun drawn, his eyes scanned the railroad tracks. Quickly looking behind him he gruffly ordered "Get him in the backseat Dinozzo!"

He watched as Tony pulled the unconscious man up and over his shoulder. Gibbs opened the door as Tony carefully laid Jack across the back seat.

"He's unconscious, and I feel at least 2 possibly 3 broken ribs." He said, with a sigh, he continued, "And there's a GSW to the shoulder"

Grunting, Gibbs slid into the driver's seat of the SUV. Barely waiting for Tony to get his door shut once he hopped in, he slammed the SUV into drive.

"He remembered"

Gibbs looked over at Tony, taking in his relieved expression, he nodded.

1 Hour previously

Gibbs' car pulled onto the dirt road. Headlights on bright, he made his way through the dark night down to where he knew a farm spread out between the corn fields. Pulling the car alongside a barn, he looked over as Tony already had his door open and his legs out. Grabbing him by the arm Gibbs said "Tony.."

Tony looked over at him. The moonlight slashing across his face Gibbs saw the tension in his jaw. "She's alive Tony…. He's alive….and we will make sure they stay that way. You got me?"

With a nod, Tony relaxed his body. His head falling back to the headrest he swiped his hand through his hair. "You're damned right we will" he muttered. And with that he swung his tall frame out of the car.

Gibbs took a deep breath and exhaled before he opened his own door. By then Tony was already opening the large swinging doors of the barn. Stepping in together, they immediately went to the small room in the back. Kicking the door open Tony moved in first and turned on the light. Going first to the table he pulled off the blue tarp covering it. Gibbs' eyes scanned the rest of the room as Tony booted up the electronics that had been safely under the tarp.

"See if he's activated his tracker yet" Gibbs said

"He damned well better have remembered" Tony mutters.

Walking to a large storage cabinet Gibbs pulled his keys out of his pocket. Finding the small silver one, he quickly unlocked the doors and swung them open. Inside his eyes scanned the weapons latched to the shelves. Pulling out 2 shotguns and ammo boxes, he started stacking them on the table beside Tony.

"It's on!" Tony exclaimed.

Gibbs felt a smile stretch across his face as he muttered "Good boy Jack. Good boy"

Stripping his jacket off, he pulled a bullet proof vest out of the storage cabinet. Tossing it to Tony, he pulled out a second one and started strapping it on. Once both of them were done, he started handing Tony the knives that he pulled from the top shelf of the cabinet.

Tony stroked the blade of the first one with a grin. "Been a long time my lovelies"

With a smack to the back of his head he looked up and said "On it, Boss" and began strapping the familiar blades to his left forearm.

Gibbs smirked as he strapped a thigh holster to his left leg. Sliding a Glock into its sheath, he started packing the pockets of his vest with ammo. When he was done, he looked over at Tony, who had moved back over to the laptop. "Yo Tony" he called and tossed him the PDA he pulled off the shelf.

With a quick hand Tony caught it and began typing commands into the laptop. "Okay, I've got it. We'll be able to track him for a few hours if this battery holds out." He looks up at Gibbs. "It's time… "

Gibbs nods and holds out his hand. Tony's hands grip Gibbs', this thumbs running along the top. Finding the small hard disc he's looking for, he looks up into the older man's eyes. Getting a quick nod to his silent inquiry, his thumb quickly pushes in between the delicate bones. With an audible crack, he looks to make sure he can see the red glow before he drops the hand. Holding out his own, he takes a deep breath as Gibbs returns the favor by breaking a bone in his. Seeing the faint glow he draws a shaky breath and says, "damn, remind me to have Chloe put the next ones somewhere else"

"Agreed" comes the soft reply as he sees Gibbs absently flexing his fingers with a clenched jaw. "But Eliot can track us now. We'll need him for the next steps."

Shaking his head, Tony replies "That sister of mine is a sadistic genius.."

With a quick look around the room Gibbs nodded and said "Then we're done here"

Moving as one, they left the room. Tony walked into the middle of the barn and pulled the cover off of a black SUV. Grinning he said "Hey baby"

Shaking his head Gibbs hopped into the driver's side. Starting the vehicle up he drove it out of the barn. Waiting with the SUV idling he watched Tony move the car they drove here into the barn. Looking at his watch, he saw Tony moving back into the darkness and around the barn. Gibbs looked at his watch again. "6_ mins. Not bad_." He thought. Suddenly the passenger side door opened and Tony hopped in. Out of breath he said "GO!"

Pressing down on the accelerator, Gibbs floored the SUV back down the dirt road. Beside him Tony started counting down and turned in his seat to look out the back window. He heard the explosion before he saw the flames light up the sky. Turning the SUV onto the main road with the tires squealing, he looked over and saw the flames licking at the barn.

"Good job Tony"

Laughing, Tony says "You know who would really have loved that explosion?"

Joining in the laughter Gibbs says "I hope Eliot doesn't tell her we blew something up without her."

Looking down at the PDA in his hand, Tony tells him to turn left and get on the highway "He's about 40 mins away"

Gibbs grunts "30." and presses down hard on the accelerator.


	9. Chapter 9

Sorry that the update on this one has been slow. For some reason my Beta thinks she has a life :)

Jack

Awakening, he keeps his eyes closed as he listens to the noises around him. Many years of similar situations has taught him to be fully aware before he let anyone know he was no longer unconscious. After 18 months in a Chinese prison, you learn a few things. Number one of them being, feign unconsciousness as long as possible.

Concentrating, he hears two muffled voices. _"A bed?" _he thinks. _"Okay, I'm on a bed_" Quickly flicking his wrists he realizes he's not restrained. _"Good". _Confident he's not being held hostage, he slowly lets his eyes open. Immediately flinching against the light he lets a soft moan escape his lips as his eyes squeeze shut in pain.

"Jack?" He hears a hesitant voice. Immediately the room goes dark as he feels someone beside him.

"Jack? Open your eyes" A dull throb has made itself at home in his skull. Groaning again, he slowly peeks at the voice through his eyelashes.

"Tony?"

"Yeah, open your eyes for me. I need to check you out"

Opening his eyes completely, he exhales a sigh of relief as he realizes the room is now completely dark.

"Tony, what are you doing here?"

"Oh I don't know" He whispers and leans in. "For some reason I thought it would be a good idea to come when called" Tony smiles and lets his hand rest on Jack's chest.

Finally aware of his surroundings, Jack looks around the darkened room. His mind finally catching up to him; "The tracker" he whispers.

"You remembered"

Nodding and then groaning from the stupidity of moving his head, he lets out a hiss through his clenched teeth.

"Don't move. That's a pretty good concussion you've got going there" Rolling up Jack's sleeve, he quickly inserts a needle into his arm "Don't worry, this is just for the nausea"

Immediately rubbing his arm, Jack gives him a soft "Thanks"

Patting him on the chest, Tony says "No problem. So you wanna tell me what you've gotten yourself into now?"

Groaning Jack rolls onto his side. "You don't even want to know"

He feels Tony shift on the bed beside him. "Actually, I need to know. I need to know what you and that sister of mine have gotten yourselves into that is serious enough for her to activate the plan"

Jack's eyes go wide with shock. His mind reeling he asks "Chloe?"

"Alive" He hears Tony sigh "She activated the Railroad a few hours ago"

Falling back against the bed, Jack runs his hand down his face "Damnit!"

He hears the rumble of Tony's laugh. "How'd you think we knew to come?"

Sighing Jack sits back up. "I didn't really think. I just knew I had to activate the tracker"

"Well brother, we wouldn't have even known to look if she hadn't called"

Exhaling, Jack nods.

"So for now, you need to rest." Tony looks at his watch "Eliot should be here in a couple of hours." Grimacing then, "Or … " He sees Tony's face scrunch into a perfect imitation of a Chloe pout. "If he let Parker drive…. Soon"

The look on Tony's face causes Jack to chuckle loudly before grasping his head with a grimace.

"I hope you haven't blown anything up"

Hearing nothing, he looks at Tony's ashen face. "Shit.." Then he chuckles again holding his head.

With one last pat to Jack's chest, Tony stands up to leave. "Yeah. Well, we don't do anything half assed"

Nodding, Jack lets his head fall back to the pillow. Closing his eyes, he hears Tony exit the room and the door shut softly behind him. Letting his body relax into the bed, he lets his mind wander. His thoughts immediately back to that morning in Stillwater.

June 2007

Rubbing his hand, he looks down at the scar tissue. Shaking his head he smirks at the boldness that is Chloe O'Brian. She tagged him. "She friggin tagged me!" He thinks with an amazed shake of his head. Pulling on his jeans, he exits the bedroom. Once in the hallway he hears the muffled voices of his friends. Following the noise and the smell of coffee he enters the kitchen.

"Looky looky, Sleeping Beauty is awake"

Giving Tony a glare he gets the brightest Dinozzo smile in return.

"Morning Jack"

"Chloe" he nods.

Jethro hands him a mug and he takes a seat. Inhaling the coffee, he takes a sip and grimaces. "This stuff will grow hair on your tongue.

Jethro just grunts and says "Drink up"

Chloe slides into the chair beside him and bumps her shoulder into his. Whispering "you okay?"  
Nodding, he squeezes her thigh with his hand.

"Good. We have a plan to work on" she says.

Looking around the room, he pins each one with a glare. "Does this have to do with the minor surgery you three decided to do on my hand?"

Having the good sense to blush, Chloe mumbles a "Yes".

Grunting in the corner of the room, Jethro walks over to the table and sits down. Rolling up the sleeve of his sweatshirt he holds out his hand to Jack. Taking it, Jack studies it and turns it over. He sees a small incision on top of the man's hand as well as another on the wrist. Both held together by a few stitches.

"What the hell?" Jack mutters. His eyes going dark as he looks around the room, noticing Tony and Chloe have the same marks on their hands and wrists as well.

Sighing, Jack demands "Talk"

Present

Blinking in the dark room, Jack swings his legs over the side of the bed and holds his head in his hands. _"This is bad"_ He thinks. If Chloe activated THE plan then that meant all of them were now on the run.

Hearing voices outside of the room, he gets to his feet and opens the door. Walking out, he grimaces slightly at the light, but walks into the living room. Suddenly he has an armful of a blonde. Letting out an oomph, he hisses slightly at the pain in his ribs.

"Oh! Sorry Jack" The blonde mutters. She steps back out of his arms and quickly starts poking at his ribs.

"ow shit! Parker!"

Giggling, the blonde hugs him again "Just checking" she says.

Hugging her tightly to him, he whispers "It's okay. When did you get here?"

"Just in time I'd imagine" A deep voice behind him says.

Turning, Jack lets a smile creep across his face. "Eliot"

Nodding, the other man takes his hand and pats his back. "So I hear we have a problem"

"I need to know where Chloe is" Jack demands.

"The plan has already been activated Jack" Tony said. Running his hand through his hair, he looked at his friend with troubled eyes. "We won't know until she is somewhere safe."

Slamming his fist down onto the table Jack looks around the room furiously "We need to know now!" He says through clenched teeth.

Feeling a hand on his shoulder, he looked up into the ice blue eyes of Jethro Gibbs. "Jethro, we have to find out."

Squeezing Jack's shoulder, Gibbs shook his head slightly. "Jack, you know that's not the plan."

"I don't give a damn what the plan is, we need to find her"

Sitting, Eliot looks at him. "We won't know unless she activates her tracker. Which she won't, because it is not. Part. Of. The. Plan. Jack"

"I don't give a damn if it's part of the plan or not. Where are we on finding her."

"God Damnit Jack" Tony stood in front of his friend. "You damned well know she is not going to check in until she is where she is supposed to be. As much as I hate this, you know I'm right. It's what we decided." Angrily, Tony stared at Jack. Continuing, "Chloe activated the railroad for you. Not her. For you. So unless you want to royally piss her off and screw any chance of either of you getting out of the country, I suggest you deal with that until we're done."

Sighing, Jack drops his head to his hands. "I know" he whispers. "How long before she checks in?"  
Tony looks down at his watch. "My guess? At least 24 hours. That's the plan Jack. That's what we all agreed to. We have to give her time to get to her safe house."

"And then what Tony? " Jack pleaded.

"And then we wait. If she's in trouble, she'll activate her tracker. But…" Shaking his head he says "You know she won't until she absolutely has to."

"So what now?" Jack looks intently around the room.

Clearing his throat, Eliot says "Now, we have approximately 12 hours to get you to the next stop."

"Which is?" Jack asks

"Which is not something I'm going to tell you" Eliot growls. "You know this. So don't give me a hard time, Bauer. These safeguards are in place for all of our protection. You damned well know none of us knows the entire railroad. We each know our parts. That's it." Taking a deep breath he leans into Jack. "And you know your part is to shut up and listen"


	10. Chapter 10

Chloe:

Walking down the dirt road on the edge of Stillwater, Chloe watches the sun begin to rise over the horizon. Re-adjusting her bag, she ducks down a familiar path that she knew led to an old airfield.

Blowing her hair out of her eyes, she walks around the back of the hanger and slips into the side door. Switching on the light she barely gives a glance to the small 2 seat crop dusters resting in the hanger. Knowing exactly where she's going she weaves in between the planes and stops at the edge of the hanger. In the corner she sees a scraggly older man heaving parts from a box onto a work bench.

Clearing her throat to get his attention, she calls his name as he turns around. "Charlie."  
Grinning as he wipes his hands on an already oily rag, he steps up to her and takes her into his arms.

"Chloe!"

"Hey there Charlie" she gives him a weak smile that she knows barely reaches her eyes.

"My goodness girl, you look like a wreck"

Surprising herself at her burst of laughter, she hugs him tighter. "It's good to see you Charlie."  
Putting her down, he takes his hat off, and points her to a chair. Grabbing a bottle of water out of the mini fridge, he places it on the table in front of her.

"So…" He begins. "I'm guessing you need a plane ride."

Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, she nods and mutters a "Yes"

"Where we goin'?"

"Not far. Just need a ride out past Luzern, near the state game lands."

She watches him tilt his head with a confused expression. "Ain't nothing' out there"

Smiling, she simply says, "There's enough."

Watching him as he preps the plane, Chloe glances at the clock on the wall. By now Tony and Gibbs should have Jack. Closing her eyes and saying a soft prayer, she amends that to hope they have Jack.

Hearing an engine start, she runs to the plane and hops in. Pulling the door shut hard, she looks at Charlie and nods her head. "Let's get moving"

Jack:

Looking out the window into the night, he holds his hand over his ribs protectively. With Eliot driving, he watches as the lights of the city fade in the distance. Glancing at the man behind the wheel, he takes in the changes he sees over the last few years. His hair is a bit longer, but softness has settled into his features. Eliot must be happy. With a quick glance into the backseat, he briefly watches the tall blonde curled up sleeping. Parker must be good for him. Suddenly he feels guilty. All these people have stepped out of their lives in order to save his. And why? For what? Nothing. They did it out of friendship and he feels a pang of sadness. Soon, very soon, he'll be saying goodbye to them, most likely for good.

"Knock it off Bauer"

Jumping slightly in his seat as his thoughts are interrupted, he turns back to Eliot.  
"What?"

"Thinking" Eliot growls.

Hesitating, Jack tries to think of something to say, some way to extend his gratitude. "I was just thinking Parker must be good for you."

Huffing, Eliot's eyes flick quickly to him and then back to the road.

"You've got a few more laugh lines" Jack amuses.

"You don't look so young and peppy yourself there Captain." The words coming out in a growl, but Jack can clearly see the amused twinkle in his eyes.

"How long?"

"How long… what?"

"How long until we get there?"

"About 2 hours. So settle in."

Letting his eyes close, Jack relaxes into the seat and lets the soft vibration of the tires on the road move through his body. He feels tightness in his chest and absently rubs it with the palm of his hand. Just a few hours ago he was on his own. When he last looked up in the sky at the faint reflection of the sun shining off the satellite he knew was there, he had resigned himself to his fate. He knew then that he was alone. He knew that he had to get away and he had to leave everything and everyone that was a part of his life behind. Shaking his head, he thinks he should have known what she knew. She would never let him go alone.

Looking back at his friend, he feels a deep sadness build back in his chest. They're doing this for him. She is. Chloe has set in motion a way out they once hoped they would never need. One he hoped they would never need. The pain blossoming in his chest begins to sharpen as he realizes, this is it. Not only is Jack Bauer disappearing, but he's dragged along with him the lives of four of his friends. His eyes taking in the determined and clenched jaw of Eliot, he realizes for the first time, out of all of them, Jack is the one least prepared. When Eliot looks over at him, Jack slides his eyes away. Slightly ashamed he knows what he sees in those eyes. Not condemnation, not sadness, not regrets or anger. He sees the same thing he saw in Jethro and Tony's eyes… a strength and determination that shows him, this was their choice. And he damned well better let them finish their mission. That mission being… Jack.

Tony:

Stretching his long legs in the passenger seat of the SUV, he waits as Gibbs starts the engine, but stares out of the windshield deep in thought. His eyes narrowing, he clicks his tongue against the roof of his mouth, he catches his eyes when they flick over to him, "No."

"Yes." Tony's voice is firm and sure as his eyes meet Jethro's steely glaze. "You know where she's going."

With a sigh, Gibbs shakes his head and pulls out onto the road. "It's at least 2 hours"

A quick nod of his head Tony grins "Not the way you drive." Watching as the older man hides a smirk in the darkness; he leans back into the seat and closes his eyes confident that when he awakes, they'll be on the outer edge of Pennsylvania, and that much closer to Chloe. His mind a jumble of thoughts he can feel the familiar tightness in his chest as he hears "She's going to be pissed…"

Never opening his eyes, Tony lets loose the full power of the famous Dinozzo grin "Oh yeah she will." Settling back into his seat he lets an image of a very pissed off Chloe cross his imagination. "She knows we're coming."

Exhaling loudly, Gibbs runs a hand through his short silver hair. Muttering, "You two are going to be the death of me"

With a light chuckle Tony reaches over and squeezes his shoulder. "Like you'd have it any other way."

"We're stopping for coffee"

Looking at his watch, Tony nods. "The bank will be open by the time we get there. I think it's time for a big bang"

With a snort Gibbs looks over at Tony. "What are you planning on blowing up this time?"

His grin never faltering, Tony lets his eyes close again as he settles back into the seat.

"Us."


End file.
